The 2026-27 Champions League league phase has produced a series of heavyweight fixtures, with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain drawn against Barcelona and Manchester City, while Real Madrid will face Arsenal and Inter Milan.
Manchester United will host Bayern Munich in another major European meeting, while Liverpool travel to Fenerbahce and Cesc Fabregas will return to Barcelona with Como.
The league phase features 36 teams, each playing eight matches, with 144 games scheduled before the knockout rounds. The opening matches are scheduled for Sept. 8-10.
Here are 10 fixtures to watch:
PSG vs. Barcelona
Defending champions PSG will host Barcelona in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the league phase.
The French side won its first Champions League title last season after beating Arsenal on penalties in the final. Barcelona, meanwhile, remain among the leading clubs in the competition.
The matchup also brings together several of Europe’s most prominent attacking players, including Lamine Yamal and Raphinha for Barcelona and Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for PSG.
The clubs have a long history in the competition, including Barcelona’s famous comeback against PSG in 2017, when the Spanish side overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to win 6-1 at Camp Nou.
Arsenal vs. Real Madrid
Arsenal will host Real Madrid in a meeting between two teams expected to challenge for the Champions League title.
The fixture also brings Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho back to London. The Portuguese coach previously managed Chelsea and Tottenham and now begins another spell in charge of the Spanish club.
Arsenal have a recent reason for confidence after eliminating Real Madrid in the Champions League two seasons ago.
Real Madrid will provide a major test for an Arsenal side that has established itself among Europe’s leading teams, while the Spanish club’s attacking quality will pose a different challenge for the hosts.
Manchester City vs. Barcelona
Manchester City will travel to Barcelona in a renewal of a European rivalry that has not been contested for almost a decade.
The clubs last met in the 2016-17 Champions League, and Barcelona have historically had the upper hand in their meetings.
City have never won at Camp Nou, while the fixture also carries a personal connection through manager Pep Guardiola, who previously led Barcelona.
The match will be played in Barcelona, giving the Catalan club home advantage in one of City’s toughest league-phase assignments.
Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich
Manchester United will host Bayern Munich in a fixture that recalls one of the most famous finals in Champions League history.
The clubs have met regularly in European competition, with their most recent meetings coming in the 2023-24 group stage. Bayern won both matches.
United’s return to the Champions League provides an opportunity to measure themselves against one of Europe’s most established clubs.
The match will take place at Old Trafford, where United will look to use home advantage against the German side.
Real Madrid vs. Inter Milan
Real Madrid will host Inter Milan in another meeting between two of Europe’s most decorated clubs.
The Spanish side has the stronger historical record, winning 10 of the teams’ previous meetings compared with seven victories for Inter.
Madrid have also dominated the recent head-to-head record, winning six of their last seven encounters with the Italian club.
The match will give Inter another opportunity to challenge one of the competition’s traditional powers while Real Madrid begin their campaign under Mourinho.
Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich
Arsenal will travel to Bayern Munich for another difficult assignment in the league phase.
The clubs met last season, with Arsenal winning 3-1. Bayern will now have home advantage when the teams meet again.
The German side has traditionally been a difficult opponent for Arsenal in Europe, making the trip to Munich one of the English club’s toughest away fixtures.
Both teams are expected to challenge for a place in the knockout stages, adding importance to their meeting.
Manchester United vs. Sabah
Manchester United will host Sabah of Azerbaijan in a fixture that represents a major occasion for the visitors.
Sabah reached the Champions League league phase for the first time after a dramatic playoff victory over Panathinaikos, completing a comeback to secure their place in the competition.
The Azerbaijani club were drawn against some of Europe’s biggest names, including Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United.
For United, the match will be one in which they are expected to take control. For Sabah, it will provide an opportunity to compete at Old Trafford and face one of the most recognizable clubs in European football.
Bodo/Glimt vs. Atletico Madrid
Bodo/Glimt will host Atletico Madrid in a fixture that gives the Norwegian club another opportunity to test itself against established European opposition.
Atletico will travel to Norway for the meeting, where the conditions will provide a different challenge from playing in Madrid.
Bodo/Glimt have earned recognition for their performances in European competition and will be looking to make home advantage count against Diego Simeone’s side.
Atletico also face a demanding league phase, with Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Liverpool among their other opponents.
Barcelona vs. Como
Cesc Fabregas will return to Camp Nou when Como visit Barcelona.
Fabregas came through Barcelona’s youth system and later played for the club’s first team. He will now return as the coach of Como, who are competing in the Champions League league phase for the first time.
Barcelona will be strong favourites at home, but the match offers Como an opportunity to measure themselves against one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The fixture also gives Fabregas a return to the stadium where he spent part of his playing career.
Fenerbahce vs. Liverpool
Liverpool will travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce in one of their more challenging away fixtures.
The Turkish club will have home advantage and a strong atmosphere behind them, while Liverpool will have to deal with the demands of European travel alongside their domestic schedule.
Fenerbahce also have several players with Premier League experience, including N’Golo Kante, Romelu Lukaku and Mason Greenwood.
Liverpool’s league-phase schedule includes other significant tests against Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, making their trip to Istanbul another important early challenge.
With 144 matches to be played in the league phase, the draw has provided plenty of high-profile encounters. The standout fixtures combine title contenders, European heavyweights, former clubs and managers, and ambitious teams looking to make their mark on the competition.
